Laying the Foundation for Literacy
Amy Brandon
Child Care Program
Reading and writing skills serve as the basis for all later learning and are integral to children’s success in school. Building the foundation for literacy begins before kindergarten or even preschool. Infants and toddlers begin developing literacy through listening and speaking, singing, and early experiences with drawing and books.
Parents and other caregivers are children’s first teachers, providing them with the opportunities and encouragement they need to be good and avid readers. The greatest and most rewarding way adults can help children learn to read and learn to love reading is to share books together.
Infants
Even young infants enjoy and learn from books. It is important to allow them to hold the book, pat the pictures, and even put the pages in their mouths. As adults read aloud, infants will begin to mimic sounds and facial expressions.
Once they are a little older, infants will begin choosing and bringing books to adults. They deliberately point to pictures, imitate some animal sounds, and pay attention for longer periods of time. Adults should ask simple questions like “Where is the ball?” and imitate children’s verbalizations by adding short phrases, such as “Ball. The ball is blue.”
Toddlers
Most toddlers can’t seem to get enough of books and delight in hearing the same stories over and over again. They begin to handle books correctly and to recognize that books have a back, front, and pages to turn. Toddlers begin to identify objects in pictures, finish some sentences, and even seem to read familiar books on their own. Adults should expect to stop and start stories often, allowing toddlers time to process what they see and engage in conversations about pictures and meaning. Reading the same story for the hundredth time actually helps toddlers relate what they hear to the words and letters on the page.
Preschoolers
Preschoolers, with their ever growing language skills, begin to develop an awareness of the power and use of the written word. They like to play with sounds, act out stories, share their own observations, and pretend to read to others. Preschoolers notice the letters they have seen in books in other places and begin to identify familiar words. Adults should ask preschoolers to show them things they see in pictures, such as “Show me all the things that are green,” and ask questions like “Why is the little girl happy?”
Early experiences with books are invaluable. Through reading, children learn to:
- Use language in conversation.
- Listen and respond to stories.
- Recognize and name the letters of the alphabet.
- Connect sounds to letters to figure out the “code” of reading.
- Learn and use new words.
- Understand what is read.
Winter is the perfect season to begin a reading routine with family members. Set aside some time each evening to share books and start building the foundation for a lifetime of success.
Suggested book list:
Infants:
- Moo Baa La La La by Sandra Boynton
- All Fall Down by Helen Oxenbury
Toddlers:
- I Am a Bunny by Ole Risom
- Wynken, Blynken and Nod by Eugene Field
Preschoolers:
- Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
- King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub by Don and Audrey Wood